Lamp-director.



L. E. sms.

LAMP DIRECTOR. APPLICATION NLE!) NAV 14 ISIS'. LQ Patented Jan. 2, 191?.

2 SHEETS- SHEET l.v

L. E. SIMS.

LAMRDIRECTOR.

APPLICATION FILE@ HAY 14. i915.

M21 Patented Jan. 2y N1?.

2 SHETS-SHEET 2.

LAURA E. SLLS, F ST. IPAJUL,` MINNESOTA.

LAMP-ERECTOR.

Specication of Letters etent.

resent-ea aan. e. isi a.

Application filed May le, 1915; Serial No. 23,044.

To di w/iom, 'it' may concern.'

B. it known that l, LAURA E. Sinne, a citizen of the Unit-ed States, residingat blt. Paul.. in the county otltamsey and State or Minnesota, have intente-d a new and useful Improvement in Lamp-Directors, of which the follonf'ing is a specification.

T he object ot this invention is to provide improved means for turning the head lights oi. a -vehicle in the direction in which the' vehicle is being steered, and up and down so as to direct the rays ot' light on any portion of the road ahead desired.

A .tui-ther object is to provide means for directing the lamps in the direction in which the vehicle is being steered in synchronisiu with the movement of the Vehicle.

Another object is to provide means whereby the lamps can be tilted up and down so that the rays oi" light are cast directly ahead or downwardly, on that portion of the road directly ahead or downwardly in front of the vehicle, and so that the rays of light will not blind persons approaching the vehicle from in iront when either on ioot or riding.

A still further object is to provide simple and inexpensive construction for accomplishing the above objects.

In the accompanying dawings forming part of this spccilication, Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in sectionv of a detail showing my invention applied thereto; F ig. Q is a plan ot a portion oi the vehicle showing the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 applied thereto; Figs. and il aredetails; Fig. 5 is a side elevation partly in section of an. al

ternative construction of one of the lamps and part ot its operating mechanism; 6 1s a side elevation of an alternative construction, and liig. l 1s a side elevation or" another alternati ve construction.

In the drawings A designates a portion of the body ot' an automobile having the usual front dash 2y-engine hood 3 and body trame below 'the body frame on the front end oit the vehicle is the front axle 5 on the outer ends of which the steering' wheel shafts G and 7 carrying steering wheels 8 are ournaled, said shafts being pivoted at 9 and having the usual crank arms 10 projecting rearwardly by which the wheels are steered.

11 is the connecting rod pivoted near the outer free ends of the crank arms 10, whereby both wheels are steered together in the same direction simultaneously.

12 and 13 are spindle sockets for the lamps B which are arranged in usual position near each side of the forward end of the body, said sockets 12 and 13 being secured to the body trame by means ot' bosses 15 and bolts 16. The spindle sockets are supported rigidly and contain the lamp carrying parts which are similar, a description ot one therefore Sudicing.

16 is a spindle having a longitudinal passage 17 extending vertically therethrough.l the upper end of said spindle being formed with fork members 18 between which the lamp such as B is journaled by gudgeons 19 on the sides of thelamp. The lower end of the spindle is held to the spindle socketby a forwardly extending armQO and lock nut Q1, said nut beingthreaded on the spindle. The arm 2O on one of the spindles 16 has a rearward' extension 24. To the outer ends ot the forwardly extending arms 2O on the `spindles is pivotally secured a connecting rod 25, which causes the lamps to turn in their swivel supports simultaneously in the same direction.

The lamps and the steering wheels are steered in synchronism by a hand operated steering` shaft inclining downward from in front of the drivers seat and journaled in a support 26 mounted'ou the dash 2 and in a support 27 mounted on the frame 4t, the upper end oi3 said steering shaft being provided with the usual hand wheel 25 by which it is turned. The lower end of the steering shaft has a swinging arm 28 angling from the shaft and has its lower end formed with a ball bearing 29, which is revolubly held in a socket element C, composed ot two members 30 and 31 bolt-ed or otherwise secured together over the ball bearing 29. The member 30 is formed with a projecting arm 32 which is pivotally secured by a bolt 33 to one end of a pitman 34, the other end of said pitman being pivotally attached at 35 to the free end of arm'24.

Upon the `rearward end of the crank arm l0 is an extension 36,y to which is pivotally attached at 37 pitman 38, said pitinan .bes ing secured to the side member 31 of the ball and socket joint on the lower end of the crank arm of the steering shaft. Thus, as the steering shaft is turned, motion is imparted to the steering wheels tol direct them, and to the lamps to direct them in the same direction in which the wheels are steered.. For the purpose of regulating the lamps to vary the direction in which their rays extend up and down in front of the vehicle, theA lamps are tilted upon their gudgeons 19 in their supporting arms 18, the tilting action being produced simultaneously on both lamps and by means ot' the following mechanism.

Journaled in brackets 40 secured to the dash 2 andin brackets such as 41 secured to the frame 4 are two parallel vertical shafts 42 and 43, said shafts carrying upon their upper ends laterally and rearwardly extending operating arms 44 to which are pivotally attached a connecting rod 45. This connecting rod carries an operating arm 46 secured theretoand projecting rearwardly through a horizontal slot 47 inthe dash, said slot being formed with a series of notches 48, into which the arm 46 drops or springs and is held in laterally selected position. By this means the shafts 42 and 43 are turned simultaneously in their supports by shifting the operating member 46 laterally. To each of the lower ends of the vertical shafts 42 `and43 is secured a short cross arm 50, the attachment being midway between the ends ot' said arm and by a rigid connection whereby as each shaft is turned, the cross arm member swings about a point between the ends of the arms. To the free ends of each of said cross arm members are secured a pair of cables or flexible connections 51 and 52, one cable of said pair being attached to one end of a cross arm member and the other cable to the opposite end of said cross arm member. 'Ihese flexible connections lead to the lamps B-B, one pair to one lamp, and the other a guide arm 55 formed integral with and eX' tending rearwardly from the spindle and is fastened to an eyelet 56 distanced Jforwardly from the eyelet 53 on the lower sur` face of the lamp, the arrangement of the connections being so that as the shafts 42 and 45l are turned, the arms 50 cause the' cables to tilt the lamps up and down. It

will be noted that by running these Icables upwardly through the spindles, 'the means for tilting the' lampsvup and down docs not prevent the movemernJ of the lamps in synchronism with the steering movement-of the steering wheels and vice versa, the

steering of the lamps laterally does not effeet the meansfor tilting the lamps up and down.

The construction of the lamps may be variouslymoditied, it being'preferred Lthat wardly inclined position.

the construction be such as 5to provide an extension shade 60. projectingforwardly and having a dowjnwardlyl and rearwardly slantingtransparent face 6l throwing lthe light rays down on the road, so as to 0bscure the directrays of light fromA the eyes of the person who is approaching the y vehicle from infront. By tilting the lamps up and down,"the rays can be directed in" position downwardlyA upon the,

illustrated, a depending arm 64 being se- .l cured rigidly to the rear portion of the body of the lamp and an operating arm 65 eX- tending rearwardly and being pivotally attached at 66 to the depending member v64,

whereby through the reciprocation of the arm 65, the lamp is tilted either upwardly or downwardly in its support. In Fig. 6 another modified form of mechanism for tilting the lamp is illustrated, the rearward portion of the bodyoi' the lamp being shown by the stud bolt 67 vand a curved notched arm 68 having a longitudinal slot 69 being hinged at 70 to the support 71, whereby as the lamp is tilted the bolt 67 slides freely inthe slot 69. A thumb nut 72 on the bolt 67 is adapted to clamp the lamp to the arm 68 Yand hold the lamp in any tilted.l posiytion desired. A coil spring 73 passing thebaclr of the lamp and the holding arm 68 acts as a cushion against` which the arm` 68 is clamped by the thumb nut.. In this construction the lamp can be set' in any tilted position desired, but cannot be aroundthe bolt 67 and interposed between "No changed in position from the drivers seat.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 7 the lamp body 74 is provided with a detachable shade 7 5, which is hinged at 76 thereto. vThe front portion of said shade being provided with a ,transparent front 77 which is .secured rigidly therein in downwardly and rearforms of lamps are all applicable for use with my invention, the particular construc- I tion thereof being adapted to assist in most effectively directing the rays of light down upon the road.

In accordance with the p atent statutes I have described the principles of operation Iof my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction These various' shown is only illustrative and that the in- 1 vention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above stforth within the scope of the following c alms.

Having described my invention what claim asnew and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. In combination with a motor vehicle including a lamp, a standardhaving forks between which. the lamp is swiveled and adapted to 'turn about a vertical exis, means for turning the vertical standard and lamp, a vertical rod journaled upon the vehicle, a connection between said rod and said lamp, and means horizontally movable for turning said rod to tilt said lamp vertically between said forks.

2. in combination with a motor vehicle including a lamp and having a dash provided with a-horizontal slot, a standard having forks between which the lamp is swiveled for vertical movement, a vertical rod journaled upon the vehicle, a connection between said rod and said lamp, and means slidable Within said slot having a connection with` said rod for vturning the saine to tilt said lamp between said forks.

ln combination 4Witha motor vehicle including avlamp and having a dash provided with a horizontal slot, a standard having forks between which the lamp is s'wiveled for vertical movement, a vertical rod journaled upon the vehicle in proximity to the dash, a connection. between said rod and. said lamp, and means slidable within said slot having a connection with said rod ,tor turning the same to tilt saidflamp.

ist

4. ln combination w1tn a motor vehicle including a lamp and having a dash provided with a horizontal slot formed with a serrated edge, a standard upon which the lamp is tiltingly mounted, a vertical rod journaled upon the vehicle, a flexible connection between said rod and said lamp, and a crank handle slidable within said slot having a connection with said rod for turning the same to tilt said lamp and adapted to be retained in selected position by engagement with said serrated edge.

5. In' combination with a motor vehicle including a pair of lamps, a dash provided with a horizontal slot formed with a serrated edge, a pair of standards upon each of which one of said lampsis tiltingly mounted, a pair of vertical spaced rods journaled upon said vehicle, a flexible connection between each of said rods and a lamp, means rotatably connecting said rods, and a crank handle slidable within said slot engaging said rotating means to tilt said lamp and adapted to be retained in selected position by engagement with said serrated edge.

-In testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

STELLA L. WASGHENBERGER, F. S. BRADBURY. 

